Survey on green real estate sector 2014

AHMEDABAD: While construction processes are increasingly adopting environmental improvements, waste minimisation practices and resource inputs, are getting less attention. One of the key objectives of the national mission on sustainable habitat, released by the Indian prime minister in 2008, was to extend the energy conservation building code to new and large buildings, to ensure energy efficiency in a significant way. However, even after six years of its release, the uptake of sustainability principles are slow in the real estate sector.

There is an array of challenges and barriers ailing the green real estate sector in India, which get further amplified since its value chain presents different and conflicting views on the sector’s revival. The objective of this study is to bridge this gap and to bring out insights that would help fuel sustainable growth in the green real estate sector. 72 per cent of respondents believe that the high costs of green real estate buildings are a major impediment to the growth of this sector. Close to 50 per cent of the same set of respondents also believe that the high costs incurred on green buildings, is just a notion and that the cost of green buildings is equivalent to that of normal buildings. This highlights a potential lack of understanding among stakeholders about benefits of green buildings.

The recommendations highlight the pertinent need to increase stakeholder awareness about the holistic benefits of green buildings. The study recommends significant changes to overcome these barriers and highlights the urgent need for all stakeholders like real estate developers, financial institutions, real estate fund managers, green building and landscape architect companies, ESCos, construction material manufacturers and large pro-sustainability conglomerates, to come together to build and increase awareness on the tangible and intangible benefits of green buildings. It also stresses on the need to have stricter enforcement of existing regulations, along with a national level policy on all future commercial real estate projects.

The fast depleting stock of the natural capital globally, is making it imperative for the industry to look into ways to reduce its resource consumption to mitigate this impending risk. It is equally important for the industry to look at their resource consumption from a holistic perspective and incorporate consumption of natural resources like air, water, land, biodiversity and other dependent services, as part of their operations. The compendium aims to facilitate this process by presenting the best practices by various corporates in India as identified in the Eco-corporate category of the Natural Capital awards.

The compendium highlights case studies from industry leaders adopting a zero-water discharge policy and aiming for a water positive status in their operations. Another such case highlights utilising the treated effluent water for providing irrigation in the surrounding area, thus, sustaining agriculture and creating raw material. The cases listed in the compendium span across business efficiency improvement measures, to CSR initiatives and represent the best practices adopted by the companies to conserve natural capital and support livelihood. The compendium also reveals that the most important driving force behind exemplary environmental performance of companies, is establishing an environment management policy framework endorsed by the board.

Latest Realty News

GANDHINAGAR: Despite Supreme Court's order to clear encroachments and restrict sale of pastoral (gauchar) land, Gujarat still has more than 12,000 cases related to illegal possession of pastoral lands.

AHMEDABAD: Luxury housing is spreading its wings across the cities of Gujarat and the state that was earlier recognised as a cost-conscious market, has suddenly started to show changes. The high-end luxury projects seem to be the in-thing across the state in general and Ahmedabad and Vadodara in particular.

SURAT: For the first time in its history Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) will collect Rs 500 crore and more from property tax this year ending 2013-14. Against the demand of 607.54 crore, it has already recovered Rs 504.68 crore as property tax till date and is likely to touch the figure of Rs 525 crore by 31 March, 2014.

AHMEDABAD: A section of analysts believe that micro-market businesses must adopt global best practices uniformly, to give a facelift to the sector and make the business more transparent. One such recent attempt has been made to standardise property measurement globally and the premise has been that the major demand drivers, like international investors and global occupiers, make it necessary to adopt uniform global norms. How far is this feasible?

RAJKOT: Intensifying its tax recovery drive across the city to meet its financial year target of Rs 170 crore, Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) is using various means from beating of drums to warn defaulters to disconnecting water supply. The local civic body disconnected water supply of five defaulters on Tuesday.

AHMEDABAD: An HR executive working with a multinational struck gold in Prahaladnagar — a three BHK flat in a premium housing colony for Rs 50 lakh. “The developer had quoted the same amount for a 2 BHK unit two-three years ago in the same scheme. It seems this is a good time to buy,” says the 40-year-old professional who returned to her native after three years.